1 Developing your identity and image Aim To explore your sense of
A sense of identity
identity, and your feelings about image and becoming an adult
WHAT KIND OF ADULT? Adolescence is all about developing from child to adult. But, Janet Lake asks, what kind of adult do you want to be?
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ecoming an adult is the main point of adolescence, so it’s worth spending some time thinking about the kind of person you want to be. What qualities do you want to have? What skills and abilities? What characteristics do you definitely not want to have? Draw up a table like the one below. (The qualities listed are only an example – everyone will feel differently about this.) It may help to think about adults that you respect, whether they are members of your family or public figures. And, of course, adults with qualities you don’t admire.
QUALITIES I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE
QUALITIES I DON’T WANT TO HAVE
✓ Coping ✓ Strong ✓ Dynamic
✓ Indecisive ✓ Nagging ✓ Stressed
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Remember, there is no right or wrong answer to the question “What kind of person do you want to be?” But the qualities you jot down will tell you a lot about your emerging identity.
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On your own, draw up a list of qualities, as Janet Lake describes. Share your list with your partner and explain why you have included these qualities in your list. How similar or different are your lists?
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Read the article on the right about designer clothes and the quote below. Do you agree with Wayne Hemingway that ‘it’s cooler to be an individual than look the same as everyone else’? Or do you agree with Damian that it’s cool to wear the right brands?
Discuss whether you think your lists will change in the next five to ten years. If so, how?
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What do you think your lists say about your ‘emerging identity’?
“There is a lot of pressure on teenagers to appear cool. That means wearing the right brands. Like it or not, that’s the way it is.” Damian
Discuss your attitudes to clothes and why you dress the way you do.
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Your Life Student Book 4 “I was one of the girls in my school who didn’t get a nose job. I’m proud to be a role-model for girls and say, you don’t need to look like everyone else. Love who you are.” Lea Michele
SELF IMAGE
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ou look in the mirror and you are either pleased with what you see or not. You may be looking at your physical appearance – skin, hair, clothes, or the image you portray – being confident or shy. Our self-image plays an important part in how we feel about ourselves and how we think others perceive us. Our self-esteem, confidence and ability to communicate with others are closely linked with how we view ourselves. Television, magazines and adverts tell us we live in a world full of beautiful people. The pressure to have the correct body shape, wear only branded clothes and be full of self-confidence is a tall order. Many young people compare themselves to these images and often come to the conclusion they are not meeting the standards set by the media. Thankfully most of us realise that these expectations are unrealistic. We realise that life is not like this, and how we feel about ourselves is much more important for self-esteem and confidence. Source: www.youth2youth.co.uk
DESIGNER CLOTHES Designer Wayne Hemingway lets us know what he thinks of that scourge of every parent – the ‘must-have’ designer clothes labels demanded by many of our kids: Why r so many kids dressed in the identikit uniform of Nike/Adidas/Reebok et al? Parents argue that the kids demand it – well how weak-spirited and old fashioned of you! Explain to them that: 1. It’s old-fashioned to wear logos; 2. It’s cooler to be an individual than to look the same as everyone else, and individuals are the ones that go on and make money; 3. It’s a waste of money! 4. It’s daft to pay to be a walking billboard – shouldn’t it be the other way round? Source: www.fatherhoodinstitute.org
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Discuss how important the way you look is to your self-image and self-esteem. Do you agree with Lea Michele’s statement? Should it be against the law for anyone under 18 to have plastic surgery? Do you agree that expectations set up by the media are unrealistic? Discuss what you can do to protect yourself from this negative influence.
For your file Write a statement under the heading ‘Who am I?’ to describe your own identity. Think about the following aspects of your identity and write one paragraph on each: ●
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Your personality – the features of your character that make you the person you are Your appearance, including your clothes, and your attitude to your appearance Your goals and ambitions – what kind of person you want to be, and what you hope to achieve in the next 10 years.
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